It features Angelica, who was a pagan princess in an epic poem by Italian writer Ludovico Ariosto, which was published in 1516. Wrongly accused by the cowardice of others she was rescued by the African knight Ruggiero (Roger) after being chained naked to a rock in the sea as a sacrifice to the monstrous sea creature Orc.

Ariosto’s poem has been the inspiration for many works of art, including a fresco by Giovanni Battista Zelotti (1526–1578) on the walls of the sala of the Villa Rigoni Savioli near Padua. Zelotti was active in Venice and her mainland territories and also completed many works for Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508 – 1580).

There are also paintings of the subject by Tiepolo, Ingres, Redon, and a series of illustrations by Gustave Doré. Ours is an antique French engraving inspired by the story c1880.

The original engraving is in La Bibliothèque nationale de France. Ours is a nineteenth century copy, which is part of a private collection of one of our founders. Parallels to the tale of St George and the Dragon and the legend of Andromeda and Perseus are often drawn.

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The Culture Concept Circle offers FREE posts from many different categories of interest, in both the visual and performance arts, as we trace the evolution of western society and its cultural development.